Description: Theater holds an particularly important place in Samogitian cultural life since it is one of the oldest and most popular Samogitian art forms. Currently, the theater is among the most active and well-known in the country. They distinguish themselves by their exceptional repertoire that includes many Samogitian plays performed in the Samogitian dialect. According to the theater specialist P. Vielsis, most of the actors have an excellent grasp on the specifics of acting in a theater, even though the majority never received any formal theatrical training and decided to perform for their own pleasure. Long-standing amateur theater traditions exist in Plunge, Kretinga, Rietavas, Taurage, Kelme, Jurbarkas, Mazeikiai, Palanga, Akmene, and Skuodas. Most of these theaters have earned the prestigious B. Dauguvietis award of the Lithuanian Republic. In recent years, opportunities for local theater companies to perform for each other and learn from each others' work have multiplied. There are a large number of Samogitian theater festivals. The festivals "Nuogne grazi Zemaiteje" and "Cha cha!" take place yearly in Telsiai. The town Tauragiskiai organizes the yearly "Tytuva" festival. A summer festival "Saules taku" ('Following the sun') takes places in Palanga and Kretinga stages a traditional gathering on a threshing floor. Theaters frequently go on tours and participate in national and international amateur theater festivals, where they regularly receive positive critiques.

Organisation type: Public equivalent bodies

Organisation’s work area: Telsiai

Organisation’s thematic objectives: Social inclusion

Phone number: +37044474340

E-mail: info@telsiuteatras.lt

Address: Respublikos str. 18, Telšiai LT-87333 Lithuania

Website: www.telsiuteatras.lt